Karnataka passes crowd control bill to prevent Bengaluru stadium stampede-like disasters

Bengaluru stampede

Over two months after the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebrations that claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka government on Wednesday passed a new legislation aimed at preventing such disasters in the future.

The proposed law, called the Karnataka Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025, lays down strict rules for organising public events, sets accountability for organisers, and prescribes heavy penalties for violations, The Times of India reported.

Rules and responsibilities for organisers

Under the new law, organisers of events will have to seek permission from authorities well in advance, depending on the scale of the gathering. Smaller gatherings of less than 7,000 people will require approval from the local police inspector, while medium-sized events with up to 50,000 attendees will need clearance from the Deputy Superintendent of Police. For mega events crossing the 50,000 mark, only senior officers like the Superintendent of Police or the Commissioner of Police can grant permission.

As per the bill, applications must be submitted at least 10 days before the scheduled event. Organisers are also expected to present a detailed plan for safety arrangements, evacuation procedures, medical support, and traffic management. Clearances from multiple departments such as Fire and Emergency Services, Health, Public Works, and Traffic Police are also mandatory.

The Bill also says that the organisers must take full responsibility for any incidents during the event, including loss of life or damage to public and private property, adding that to obtain permission, organisers must execute an indemnity bond worth Rs 1 crore. An indemnity bond assures the holder of the bond that they will be duly compensated in case of a possible loss

Penalties for violations

Events conducted without official permission can attract imprisonment of three to seven years and fines up to Rs 1 crore. Disturbances at gatherings could lead up to three years of jail and a fine of Rs 50,000. For causing crowd disasters, the organisers will envisage a minimum of three to seven years of jail term for injuries, and 10 years of life imprisonment in case of fatalities.

The offences under this Bill are cognizable, non-bailable, and triable by the Judicial Magistrate First Class. However, cases involving fatalities in crowd disasters will be triable by a Court of Session.

Additionally, the Bill will not be applicable to family functions such as weddings held on private premises.

The introduction of this legislation comes after the public outrage following the IPL victory stampede. The Karnataka government and the RCB management were criticised for the gaps in planning, lack of coordination among authorities, and insufficient safety measures at the celebrations.